How to dispose of storage devices containing PHI and other sensitive data

Improper disposal of electronic devices and media puts the information stored on those devices at risk for a breach. And when devices contain protected health information (PHI), it puts your patient’s data at risk.

What can you do to protect PHI when you want to dispose of equipment such as desktops, laptops, tablets, copiers, servers, smartphones, hard drives, and USB drives? The Office for Civil Rights and the National Institute of Standards and Technology offer the following guidance. (1, 2)

About the Author

Laura Hale Brockway is Assistant Vice President of Marketing at TMLT and has more than 17 years of experience in communications, 15 of those years with TMLT. Ms. Brockway has also worked for Seton Healthcare Family and the Texas Academy of Family Physicians.
An honors graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Ms. Brockway holds an Editor in Life Science (ELS) certification from the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences.
She is also a contributor to Ragan Communication’s PR Daily website and is the author of the blog, impertinentremarks.com. Laura Brockway can be reached at laura-brockway@tmlt.org.